The BCCI has offered an explanation for India’s decision not to collect the Women’s Asia Cup trophy from ACC president and PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi after their 72-run victory over Sri Lanka in the final. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the decision was partly shaped by the unresolved dispute over the men’s Asia Cup trophy, which India won in 2025 but has still not formally received.
The Dubai presentation ceremony once again became a talking point after being delayed by nearly an hour, with Naqvi handing the runners-up cheque to Sri Lanka before leaving the podium. India instead held its own medal ceremony away from the main presentation area, with Saikia and BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla present as Harmanpreet Kaur’s side celebrated a record eighth Women’s Asia Cup title.
BCCI Breaks Silence on India Women’s Team Declining Asia Cup Trophy From Mohsin Naqvi
The Women’s Asia Cup trophy controversy has taken another turn, with the BCCI explaining why India’s victorious women’s team chose not to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi. Harmanpreet Kaur’s side defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final in Dubai to claim a record eighth Asia Cup title, but the celebrations were overshadowed by an unusually delayed presentation ceremony. Naqvi, who is also the PCB chief and Pakistan’s interior minister, eventually presented the runners-up cheque to Sri Lanka before leaving the venue, while India held its own medal ceremony.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the decision was closely linked to the unresolved issue involving the men’s Asia Cup trophy. India’s men won the tournament last year but are still waiting to receive the trophy, and Saikia said the women’s team did not want to take a position that contradicted the stance adopted by their male counterparts. “Our men’s team won the Asia Cup a year and a half ago. And our whole situation, since the April 2025 Pahalgam incident, changed after that,” Saikia told IANS after the match, as quoted by Sportstar.
According to Saikia, India remains committed to playing Pakistan in multinational competitions because of the government’s policy, but that does not mean every aspect of the relationship has to be accepted. “But that doesn’t mean we will follow every condition laid out for us. Our military conflict is still ongoing. One of the main leaders who is working against the interests of our country; we can’t receive the trophy from him. The Women’s team has expressed solidarity with the decision taken by the men’s team last year,” he said. He also insisted that the decision had nothing to do with diminishing the team’s achievement after what he described as a dominant title-winning campaign.
Saikia further explained that the BCCI had tried to find a way to avoid the awkward situation altogether. The board had suggested that ACC deputy chairman Khalid Al Zarooni present the trophy to the Indian players instead of Naqvi. “We can say that the deputy chairman of the ACC can hand over the trophy. That was our request, so that all these controversies can be avoided, because everybody knows what is happening on the ground,” Saikia said. However, that proposal did not lead to a resolution before the presentation.
The Indian players instead celebrated their victory separately on the field, with head coach Amol Muzumdar addressing the squad before the medal ceremony. Saikia and BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla were also involved in the celebrations, while Naqvi remained part of the official proceedings before eventually presenting the runners-up cheque to Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu. Naqvi then left the stadium without the Asia Cup trophy, which was not seen being carried away with him.
Saikia also addressed images showing him speaking with Naqvi and other officials in the Royal Box during the match. He stressed that there was nothing unusual about the interaction, saying officials were simply following normal match-day protocol. “That’s just a normal tradition — whenever anyone comes, we meet and talk with everyone. We tried to solve today’s situation, but our efforts were not successful. We don’t have any regrets,” he said. Saikia added that the BCCI’s focus throughout the day remained on winning the tournament rather than the trophy presentation.
BCCI Defends Asia Cup Trophy Decision, Says Women’s Team Stood in Solidarity With Men’s Side
The BCCI secretary also made it clear that the board wanted to maintain consistency with its earlier position. “We are also keeping in mind the respect and solidarity with our men’s Asia Cup team. If you look at our men’s team, which won the Asia Cup about one year ago, the trophy is yet to come to our land. We are still pursuing that trophy,” Saikia said. He added that India did not want the women’s team to take a decision that would conflict with the position maintained since last year, while expressing hope that both trophies would eventually be handed over to India.
The episode comes against the backdrop of strained India-Pakistan relations following the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025. Since then, Indian teams have adopted a firmer approach toward Pakistan during multinational competitions, including refusing handshakes and, in the men’s Asia Cup, declining to accept the trophy from Naqvi. The women’s team has now followed the same position, but Saikia stressed that the decision did not take away from their historic achievement. “It doesn’t diminish the performances of our team. We have won all our matches in a one-sided manner. Women’s cricket has been growing so well in India and there’s no bigger evidence of that than this,” he said.
